GOD PROTECTS THE BROKEN HEARTED - 03/24/23 (Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent)

John 7:25-30

Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, "Is he not the one they are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from." So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, "You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me." So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032423.cfm

Blessed Friday! Despite the miracles that our Lord Jesus performer, the Jews still did not believe in Him. Not just that they doubted in Him, but they also wanted to kill Him. Why did they think of planning this horrible thing to our Lord? All that Jesus did was for their salvation. Our Lord preached the gospel to them and reminded them to repent of their sins because of God's love for them. However, the sins of the Pharisees made them blind. Instead of seeing the goodness of God, they looked at it from a negative and a prideful perspective in such a way that they hated Christ because they did not want to change their ways. They hated Him because they did not like how their conscience bit them. As such, they planned to kill Jesus Christ. It is an unfortunate reality that we can feel the same thing just by loving Christ and practicing the Catholic faith. When other people see that our faith opposes their lifestyle, instead of looking at it from a positive perspective that the Church is inviting us to deepen our relationship with Christ and turn away from sin, they ended up mocking us. It's painful for us to hear blasphemies, inappropriate and offensive words from them. Still, we should remember that God is close to us who are broken hearted. 

In the gospel reading, Jesus told the people that they did not know where He came from. What our Lord is revealing to us is that the Father is always with Him. The truth is that God is always on our side, and if we remember His presence within us, we will find refuge in Him. Jesus loved us so much that He embraced the sufferings on the Cross for Him to be more related to us due to our own sufferings. When the Pharisees tried to arrest Jesus, no one laid a hand upon Him. This also symbolizes that we are under protection from God even when we experience sufferings due to other people. The truth is that the reward of eternal life is awaiting those who remain faithful to Christ amidst the oppositions we encounter due to our faith. Despite being broken hearted due to pain, we will find strength in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. What do we do when we hear negative words from other people, especially because of our Catholic beliefs? Do we dwell for a long time on negative emotions or do we immediately turn to God for strength? May we speak to Him always and tell Him our feelings. And, let's remember that God is always with us in our journey no matter how difficult it is. Let's turn to Jesus with joy, and He will help us walk in His ways towards eternal life. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Fasting and Abstinence during Lent:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/56337/fasting-and-abstinence-during-lent

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth